Q. My 3-1/2 year-old has started waking every night around the same time, and screaming. I think he’s in the middle of a nightmare. He’s really frightened, and I don’t really know what to do. Not much seems to help—often, I’ll bring him in bed with me, but that doesn’t change the situation long-range. He keeps waking up really scared. Is there any way to help him get through this?

All of us experienced nightmares at some point in our childhood. Usually, nightmares are an occasional thing. Your son probably is experiencing what they call “night terrors,” which go on night after night for a period of time, and usually entail a recurrent dream, or at least, recurrent feelings of fear. Read the rest »

Many of the recommendations that I and other indoor air quality professionals make can be very expensive – like installing hardwood or tile floors, or replacing a hot-air heating systems with baseboard or radiator heat. But there are a number of things you can do that won’t cost a fortune and that can help keep the air in your home clean and allergen and irritant free. Below are 15 examples. Read the rest »

If your son or daughter has allergies or asthma, there may be conditions inside the school building that could cause your child to experience health symptoms. What are some of these conditions, and what you can you as a parent do about it?

Carpeting. Many modern school buildings have wall-to-wall carpeting, which is often cleaned in the summer, when weather is most humid. If the carpeting remained damp for more than 48 hours, it may well contain mold growth, subsisting on captured dust. If your child’s classroom smells musty, the carpet may be the culprit. Ask the school to have the carpet dust tested for mold (or contact DACI lab at Johns Hopkins University and find out how to take a sample yourself). Read the rest »

Have you ever noticed that runners have strong defined thighs, cyclist have firm, toned calves, swimmers have strong v-backs, and gymnasts are compact and strong all over? It shows that your body can be shaped by the exercises you do. For example, for many years I was a competitive gymnast. Because gymnastics entails lifting your body weight, I was small and buff all over. After college I was into weight lifting and put on a bunch of muscle mass, especially in my shoulders and upper back. In graduate school I got really into yoga and started teaching it. My body transformed-my muscles became lean and long! I’ve found the perfect combo of exercises that give a defined, lean, long look and I’ll share a little with you. Read the rest »

I recently spoke to Professional Organizer Lea Schneider author of “Growing Up Organized: A Mom-to-Mom Guide.” Following is our conversation:

Betsy: In regards to children, what are the benefits of becoming organized in the home, and what negative effects have you witnessed as a result of disorganization?

Lea: Being organized is a stress-reducer. Our stress from daily events, like not being able to get everyone out the door on time, to losing the homework handout in counter top clutter, to trying to locate the missing cell phone or get dinner on the table when no one has made it to the store, creates one cranky parent. When the house is disorganized and parents are cranky and exhausted as a result, I imagine it is harder for any child to be sweet, compliant and happy. Being organized can help home life run smoother. Read the rest »

Q. My daughter insists she wants to play with the two girls who live next door but she comes home every time highly emotional and upset. I watch them without her around and the older one is extremely mean to the younger one. I am not sure how to avoid this situation, or what to say to my daughter. I don’t understand why she wants to play with kids who are clearly mean and not willing to play reciprocally. She has reported that other kids at school don’t want to play with her. I think she might be bullying at school, having learned this behavior from the neighborhood kids.

A. Bullying is a highly contagious behavior that transmits immediately from child to child, like the flu. The behavior can start with an adult bullying, threatening, demeaning, or harshly excluding a child. Some parents do this as a matter of course: it is accepted in many families as rightful discipline. But disrespect and intimidation set a behavior example that children absorb in full. When a child has been treated badly, or has witnessed harshness, the behavior enters the child’s experience, but her mind can’t process it. Children simply do not understand meanness or harshness. It always hurts, even when they are not the direct target. Read the rest »

Of the 70 million US households owning dogs or cats as pets around 10% of the population are allergic to them. That is, approximately 7 million pet lovers who suffer from allergies at the paws of their canine companions and feline friends.

Pet allergies are an immune system reaction to animal proteins that trigger inflammation in the lining of the nasal passages. These allergies cause sneezing, runny nose and a stuffy head for some sufferers; however, others experience more serious symptoms including contraction of the airways resulting in hives, wheezing, shortness of breath and other breathing problems. Read the rest »